After Leander vote secures transit service, Cap Metro looks to 'win over' skeptics
Now that Capital Metro service in Leander is secure for at least five years following Saturday’s election, the regional transit agency wants to get opponents on board with spending a 1 percent sales tax on public transit. Proposition A asked…
Transit • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • May 10, 2022
Montopolis project gets Council go-ahead
City Council approved a rezoning Thursday that will bring affordable housing for women and children experiencing homelessness to the Montopolis neighborhood. The rezoning from Family Residence (SF-3-NP) to Multifamily-Moderate Density (MF-4-NP), which Council approved on all three readings, will allow…
Zoning • By Jonathan Lee • May 10, 2022
Two candidates sign on for City Council races
District 1 Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison is hosting her reelection kickoff party at Mr. Catfish, 1144 Airport Blvd., at 5:30 p.m. tonight. Harper-Madison was first elected to the northeast Austin seat in 2018. So far, her only announced opponent is…
Elections • By Jo Clifton • May 10, 2022
Expanded parental leave benefits on the horizon for city employees
In step with their colleagues at the Travis County Commissioners Court, City Council members made preliminary moves last Thursday to expand the paid parental leave program for city employees. The resolution, sponsored by Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, directs the city…
City Hall • By Kali Bramble • May 9, 2022
Dove Springs soon to have a comprehensive public health center
After years of work, the Dove Springs neighborhood will finally be getting a full-service public health facility. The project, which is funded by a 2018 bond measure, will be a central hub for the surrounding community, offering a number of resources in…
Public Health • By Willow Higgins • May 9, 2022
Growing jail populace in Travis County, review finds
The Travis County jail population is increasing, according to a recent report from Justice Planning. The uptick is largely due to increases in the number of first- and second-degree felony charges and the average length of stay for those bookings. The jail…
Public Safety • By Seth Smalley • May 9, 2022
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Austin votes to ban no-knock warrants and decriminalize small amounts of weed, initial results show
By a sweeping margin, voters in Austin appear to have approved a proposition to sanction small amounts of marijuana and ban the use of no-knock warrants by police. Nearly 85% of voters were in favor of Proposition A, according to initial…
Bonds & Propositions • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • May 7, 2022
Move to initiate historic zoning gives Fourth Street preservationists a glimmer of hope
The Historic Landmark Commission hosted a lively public hearing Wednesday with a diverse cast of characters who had gathered to voice their opinions on the controversial redevelopment of Fourth and Colorado. After compelling testimony from both supporters and those opposed,…
Preservation • By Kali Bramble • May 6, 2022
Council moves forward with income pilot program
City Council members attending Thursday’s meeting approved a $1.1 million pilot program to study the impact of providing $1,000 a month to 85 families for a year, with an emphasis on families facing eviction. Mayor Pro Tem Alison Alter voted…
City Council • By Jo Clifton • May 6, 2022
Venue capacity still under negotiation in Austin Opry House rezoning
A proposal to bring back renowned music venue Austin Opry House might have sailed through City Council if not for neighbors concerned about one thing: venue capacity. Because of neighbors fearing traffic and boisterous concertgoers from the proposed 1,200-capacity venue,…
Planning • By Jonathan Lee • May 6, 2022
Austin OKs $850,000 settlement for volunteer medic shot with 'less-lethal' ammunition during protest
The city of Austin approved a $850,000 settlement to resolve a lawsuit over the Austin Police Department’s use of so-called less lethal ammunition during the 2020 racial justice protests. Maredith Drake, a street medic during protests outside police headquarters, was…
Police • By Andrew Weber, KUT • May 6, 2022
Nueces Street in West Campus to be converted to two-way road
The city of Austin will start work this summer to convert one-way Nueces Street between 24th and Guadalupe streets into a two-way thoroughfare, part of a long-planned project that fits with the voter-approved vision to run light rail down the…
